6 Resourcing the work
6.1 The table below shows the cost of running
my office in 2007-08 compared to previous years.
Table 4: Costs of running the Commissioner's office
| 2003-04
£
| 2004-05
£
| 2005-06
£
| 2006-07
£
| 2007-08
£
|
| Staffing[45] etc
| 301,425 | 298,869
| 308,121
| 379,609[46]
| 419,816
|
| Other running costs [47]
| 33,833 | 3,964
| 8,713 |
6,939 | 5,881
|
| Total | 335,258
| 302,833
| 316,834
| 386,548
| 425,697
|
6.2 As usual, the greatest cost arises from the
employment of staff. The increase in staffing costs in 2007-08
is due to a number of staff related charges, including superannuation
and the costs of agency secretarial support, as well as to the
costs of pay progression.
6.3 I am grateful to the Committee on Standards
and Privileges for supporting my request for additional staff
resources to help manage the increase in workload in the last
quarter of the year. This is welcome evidence of the House's continued
commitment to devote the resources required to ensure that its
standards arrangements can operate effectively. I am also indebted
to the Department of Chamber and Committee Services for responding
to this request by recruiting two members of staff at short notice
for an initial six-month period, starting in March 2008. I shall
review staffing requirements later in 2008-09.
45 Staff costs include salary, National Insurance and
pension contributions, but not accommodation or other overheads. Back
46
The increase in staffing costs between 2005-6 and 2006-07 was
due to a change in the way in which the House accounts for pension
costs. Back
47
Virtually all the non-staff running costs in 2007-08 were attributable
to the cost of printing and publishing the Commissioner's annual
report and the Register of Members' Interests. Back
|
